Wyoming Administrative Code
Agency 040 - Game and Fish Commission
Sub-Agency 0001 - Game and Fish Commission Regulations
Chapter 42 - MOUNTAIN LION HUNTING SEASONS
Section 42-3 - Hunting Regulations

Universal Citation: WY Code of Rules 42-3

Current through September 21, 2024

(a) Mountain lions shall only be taken during open seasons by the use of legal firearms or archery equipment, except as otherwise provided by statute and Commission regulations.

(b) Use of Dogs. Dogs may be used to take mountain lions during the open hunting seasons. However, dogs shall only be used to take mountain lions during open hours for the lawful taking of mountain lions.

(c) Except as provided in Section 5 of this regulation, after a mountain lion has been pursued or bayed, a properly licensed person shall promptly harvest or release the mountain lion. No person shall in any manner restrict or hinder the mountain lion's ability to escape for the purpose of enabling a person who was not present at the time the mountain lion was bayed to arrive and take the mountain lion.

(d) Bag and Possession Limits. The bag and possession limit for any person with a proper license shall be one (1) mountain lion during any one (1) calendar year (January 1 -December 31), except as otherwise provided in this Section. Hunters may take any mountain lion, except dependent young and female mountain lions with dependent young at side.

(e) Reduced price mountain lion licenses. A person may receive a maximum of one (1) full price mountain lion license and a maximum of one (1) reduced price mountain lion license during any one (1) calendar year. A person must possess and exhibit a full price mountain lion license for the current calendar year in order to receive a reduced price mountain lion license for the same calendar year.

(f) Reduced price mountain lion licenses are valid only in hunt areas 5, 7, 8, 9, 15, 16, 19, 24, 25, 27 and 31.

(g) Reporting and Registering Kills. Hunters harvesting mountain lions shall retain the pelt and skull from each mountain lion harvested for registration purposes. Even if the skull is damaged, it must accompany the pelt. Visible external evidence of sex shall remain naturally attached to the pelt.

(i) Within seventy-two (72) hours after harvesting a mountain lion, the licensee must present the pelt and skull to a district game warden, district wildlife biologist, or Department personnel at a Department Regional Office during business hours for registration. The entire pelt and skull must be presented in an unfrozen condition in order to allow collection of two (2) premolar teeth to be utilized to determine the age of the mountain lion and to allow examination of the pelt to determine the sex of the mountain lion and lactation status of females. At the time of registration, the licensee shall furnish the Department with their license, the date of kill and the location of the site of kill, including hunt area, section, township and range, or UTM coordinates.

(ii) Reporting when taking a mountain lion in a designated wilderness area. A licensee taking a mountain lion in a designated wilderness area shall report their harvest by telephone or in person within seventy-two (72) hours and shall present the pelt and skull to a district game warden, district wildlife biologist or Department personnel at a Game and Fish Regional Office during business hours for registration within ten (10) days from the date of harvest or within three (3) days after returning from a designated wilderness area. At the time of registration, the licensee shall furnish the Department their license, the date of kill, the location of the site of kill to include hunt area, section, township and range or UTM coordinates.
(A) The licensee making the telephone report shall contact a district game warden, district wildlife biologist or Department personnel at a Game and Fish Department Regional Office and provide their name, license number, date of kill, sex of mountain lion, hunt area and the location of the kill site (drainage).

(iii) Reporting when taking a mountain lion in Hunt Area 1. Within twenty-four (24) hours after taking a mountain lion in Hunt Area 1, the licensee shall report the taking of a mountain lion by calling toll free 1-800-264-1280. The report shall include the name and phone number of the person making the report, hunter's name and license number, residency status of the licensee, date of the kill and location of the site of kill, including the hunt area.

(h) Any false statement on the registration form or false reporting of a mountain lion kill is a Commission regulation violation and punishable as provided by Title 23, Wyoming statutes for violation of Commission regulations.

(i) Hunt Areas, Season Dates and Limitations.

Hunt Area

Dates of Seasons

Hunt Area Mortality Limit

Limitations

1

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

Resident Limit - 20

Nonresident Limit - 4

See Section 3 (k)

2

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

3

3

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

8

4

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

10

5

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

15

See Section 3 (e) and (f)

Apr. 1 - Apr. 30*

Valid off national forest*

6

Sep. 1 - Apr. 30

18

7

Sep. 1 - Aug. 31

14

See Section 3 (e) and (f)

8

Sep. 1 - Aug. 31

10

See Section 3 (e) and (f)

9

Sep. 1 - Aug. 31

12

See Section 3 (e) and (f)

10

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

10

11

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

4

12

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

8

13

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

5

14

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

30

15

Sep. 1 - Aug. 31

Unlimited

See Section 3 (e) and (f)

16

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

6

See Section 3 (e) and (f)

17

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

8

18

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

12

19

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

25

See Section 3 (e) and (f)

20

Sep. 1 - Aug. 31

18

21

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

20

22

Sep. 1 - Aug. 31

25

23

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

18

24

Sep. 1 - May 31

Unlimited

See Section 3 (e) and (f)

25

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

12

See Section 3 (e) and (f)

26

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

23

27

Sep. 1 - Aug. 31

Unlimited

See Section 3 (e) and (f)

28

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

4

29

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

9

30

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

12

31

Sep. 1 - Aug. 31

11

See Section 3 (e) and (f)

32

Sep. 1 - Mar. 31

25

(j) Hunt Area Mortality Limit. The mountain lion season in a hunt area shall close when the hunt area mortality limit is reached. If the hunt area mortality limit is not reached, the season shall close upon the date specified in subsection (i) of this Section. Hunt area mortality limits shall be for the biological year. It is the hunter's responsibility to confirm that the hunt area they intend to hunt is open. The status of hunt area closures is available by calling toll free 1-800-264-1280 twenty-four (24) hours a day.

(k) Resident and Nonresident Mortality Limits. A separate resident and nonresident mortality limit shall apply in designated hunt areas as set forth in this Section, and shall represent the maximum allowable harvest of mountain lions for either resident or nonresident licensed hunters within a specified hunt area.

(i) A hunt area with a resident mortality limit shall close to resident mountain lion hunters when the resident mortality limit is reached or on the date specified in subsection (i) of this Section, whichever comes first.

(ii) A hunt area with a nonresident mortality limit shall close to nonresident mountain lion hunters when the nonresident mortality limit is reached or on the date specified in subsection (i) of this Section, whichever comes first.

(l) No person shall knowingly take a mountain lion caught in a trap or snare or within twenty-four (24) hours after the mountain lion is released from a trap or snare.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Wyoming may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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